Q&A #8 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (2/8/2020)
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In this Q&A, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses coffee & brain health, curcumin, ketone esters, and more!
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Daily coffee drinking and Alzheimer's risk
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How coffee consumption influences the risk of certain cancers and type 2 diabetes
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Differences in the bioavailability of curcumin from different sources
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Using ketone esters as an adjunct to medication for neurodegenerative diseases
How does coffee consumption affect our health?
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and has attracted considerable scientific interest for its complex bioactive composition and potential health benefits in areas such as cardiometabolic health, neuroprotection, and cancer prevention.
The chart illustrates the average daily consumption of various beverages in the U.S. from 2017 to 2020. Each dot represents a specific type of beverage, with the size indicating the relative consumption volume. In the coffee category, the four largest dots represent regular coffee, instant coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and iced coffee. CC BY-SA 4.0
A key factor in coffee's potential health benefits is thought to be its high polyphenol content. Polyphenols account for up to 10 percent of the dry weight of green coffee beans—the raw, unroasted seeds of the Coffea plant—with Robusta beans generally containing higher levels than Arabica beans. The main class of polyphenols in coffee beans is chlorogenic acids (CGAs), with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) being particularly abundant. However, brewing and especially roasting can reduce the chlorogenic acids (CGA) content by up to 95 percent. A 1 percent reduction in dry weight results in an 8 to 10 percent reduction in CGAs. While this leads to some loss of bioactive compounds, CGAs are also chemically altered into different structural forms (isomers) or broken down into smaller molecules, such as quinic acid and cinnamic acids. These can further react to form new compounds–contributing to coffee's overall bioactive profile.[1]
"A key factor in the potential health benefits of coffee is thought to be its high polyphenol content. Polyphenols account for up to 10 percent of the dry weight of green coffee beans—the raw, unroasted seeds of the Coffea plant—with Robusta beans generally containing higher levels than Arabica beans."- Dr. Rhonda Patrick Click To Tweet
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Daily coffee drinking and Alzheimer's risk.
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Study suggests that a higher lifetime coffee intake is likely to contribute to lowering the risk of AD or related cognitive decline by reducing pathological cerebral amyloid deposition. 1
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In a randomized-controlled trial, consumption of dark roast coffee brew (500 ml/day) for 1 month caused a 23% reduction in DNA damage in white blood cells compared to baseline levels. 1
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Coffee consumption may lower the risk of certain cancers up to 20% and type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease up to 30%. 1
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6 cups of coffee per day increases plasma homocysteine concentrations. 1
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Comparing types of coffee: beans of coffee robusta have a higher polyphenol content than arabica beans but robusta also has more caffeine per bean. 1
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Comparisons of curcumin bioavailability.
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Piperine, found in black pepper, can increase the bioavailability of curcumin by 20-fold. 1
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Crystalline curcumin in a micronized form can increase bioavailability by 28-fold. 1
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Micellar curcumin (NovaSOL® Curcumin) was 277‐, 114‐, and 185‐fold more bioavailable than native curcumin in women, men, and all subjects, respectively. 1
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Does curcumin blunt the beneficial effects of exercise like high-dose vitamin C or metformin?
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Reducing saturated fat intake has been shown to lower ApoB in RCTs. 1
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Lowering carbohydrate (26% E) intake and increasing saturated fat increases LDL large particles but lowers small LDL. 1
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Inclusion of one avocado per day as part of a moderate‐fat, cholesterol‐lowering diet has LDL‐C, LDL‐P, and non‐HDL‐C lowering effects. 1
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APOE4 carriers had greater reductions in apolipoprotein B and plasma cholesterol than E3/E3 subjects after replacing saturated fats with low glycemic carbohydrates on a lower-fat diet. 1
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Special considerations when considering fasting for women.
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Alternate day fasting may adversely affect glucose tolerance in nonobese women but not in nonobese men. 1
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Sex hormones given exogenously increased ketones and betahydroxybutyrate at the 36-hour mark in both pre and postmenopausal women. 1
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Being researched: on-going randomisation, double-blind placebo-controlled study investigates the effect of menaquinone-7 (MK-7) supplementation on progression of aortic valve calcification. 1
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Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and menaquinone (vitamin K2) association with incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), all-cause mortality, and aortic calcification. 1
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L-carnitine (2 g/day) significantly reduced Lp(a) levels. 1
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Gene-dependent differences in response to aspirin: minor allele carriers of rs3798220 had higher Lp(a) and benefited more from an aspirin than non-carriers. 1
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Higher serum total cholesterol is associated with a reduced PD risk in a dose-dependant manner. 1
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Lower serum LDL cholesterol is associated with increased Parkinson's disease. 1
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FDA databases found that neurological disease was reported more often for lipophilic statins that more readily cross the blood-brain barrier, than for hydrophobic statins. 1
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Beneficial effects of oral coenzyme Q10 administration have been found in animal models for Parkinson's disease. 1
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Does taking direct antioxidants nullify benefits from lifestyle habits such as sauna, exercise, fasting, broccoli sprouts and others?
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Using a continuous glucose monitor when you don't have diabetes.
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My thoughts on moringa powder in my diet. 1
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Fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) lowers postprandial triglyceride levels by 16% to 40% in a dose-dependent fashion. 1
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Using ketone esters as an adjunct to medication for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. 1
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Magnesium-L-threonate. 1
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Magnesium threonate 1,500-2,000 mg each day for 12 weeks improved cognitive ability relative to placebo. 1
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Omega-3 DHA and prostate cancer.
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Collagen powder in smoothies.
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Watch previously recorded Q&As with Dr. Rhonda Patrick
Q&A #70 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (5/3/25)
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses cancer prevention, linoleic acid, shingles vaccine and dementia, creatine's kidney effects, and shares her overnight oats recipe.
Q&A #69 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (4/5/25)
Dr. Rhonda Patrick covers lithium microdosing, reducing homocysteine, aluminum's link to cancer, and beta-alanine and alpha-lipoic acid supplements.
Q&A #68 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (3/1/25)
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses saturated fats and LDL, luteolin's benefits, glyphosate risks, natural vs. artificial flavors, and black cumin seed effects.
Q&A #67 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (2/8/25)
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses microdosing nicotine, GlyNac benefits, intermittent fasting and hair loss, and cold & flu relief.
Q&A #66 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (1/4/25)
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses GLP-1 agonists, alpha-lipoic acid, ubiquinone vs. ubiquinol, calcium needs, and liquid biopsy cancer screening.